The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-05-07
THE PORTLAND VASE.
A Rare Work of Art Preserved from
Roman Times.
magazine Of Art.

lMdSdLHlC VI AIl.J
The finest examples of cameo-glass now
extant are the Portland vase, the amphora-
shaped vase in the Naples Museum, and the
9nochoe in the British Museum, which is
called the Auldio vase. OF these the Port
land or Barbarini vase is, without doubt
the most beautiful. 1t has a romantic his
tory. In the year 1914, during the pontiG-
cate OF Urban WILL, sepulchral monu-
ment on the ancient road to Tusculum,
about three miles out of Rome, was opened,
and, enclosed in carved marble sarcepha-
gus, was found the superb piece of cameo
glass, which was called, after the name Of
the reigning pope, the Barbarini vase The
tomb was that of Alexander Seyerus and
of Julia Mamm@a, his mother which fixes
its date at about A. ID. 235, but the vase,
which Is in the finest style Of Greek art,
probably dates from about b. G. 100. Dur
ing the last century 1t passed into the hands
of Sir William Hamilton, who sold it to
Margaret, Duchess of Portland, since which
time the vase has been known by the
name mar srd i now g,a bears: When in l7s6
Duchess were sold by auction, Wedg-
wood determined to buy the vase that
he might copy it in his jasper ware, and he
bid as high as thousand guineas for it. his
competitor DeluB the luke OF GOTLlanQ, son
of the late owner. At this bid, the Duke,
crossing the room, asked Wedgwood why he
so greatly desired to possess the vase, and
upon learning his reason generously said
that if Wedgwood would let him buy it he
would lend him the vase for as long as he
liked that he might reproduce it at his leis-
ure. This offer Wedgwood accepted; he
gave over bidding and shortly afterwards
left the room with the vase, which had be-
come the property of the Duke. Twelve
months SDpnf in the making Of tho
model, and so costly was the work and so
careful the finish given to each copy by the
gem engraver whom Wedgwood employed,
that although he sold for EGO each the fifty
copies which he made, the outlay far exceed
ed the sum he gained: But that did not
trouble Wedgwood; he had made the finest
copy possible of a masterpiece of art.
The Duke OF Portland afterwards gave
the priceless original to the British Museum,
of which it is now one of the ch1ef orna-
ments, Some time afterwards a demented
| fool, anxious to gain most universal not0-
riety, smashed the vase into a thousand
atoms. 1t has, with marvellous skill and
| patience. been pieced together again, so that
| it is almost as beautiful as ever, and is now
carefully protected in the Gem Room, where
| it Is only to be inspected under the watch
| full eye of the blue embodiment of the law.
| The body of the vase is of clear glass of a
deep sapphire color, and the cameo decora-
| ton which is in high. relief, is of white,
| Opaque glass. The subject of the superb
| ornamentation is supposed to be the mar
riage of Peleus and Thetis, though there are
many opinions upon this point. The vase
when first made was entirely covered with a
thick coating of opal-glass, which has been
carved away by the hand of the sculptor
just as he would have treated gem. For
long time, indeed, the vase was considered
to be work in some magnificent kind of
sardonyx By the variation of the thickness
of the white layer, gained ny the differences
of the depth of relief, most beautiful tones
| of color are produced. Even On the bottom Of
| the vase there is carved in low relief the
beautiful head of man in Phrygian cap.
This piece was not replaced when the shat
tered vase was restored, but was mounted,
for purposes of easier inspection, by the
side of the vase itself
Wedgwood little thought when making
| his celebrated reproduction of the Portland
| vase that within century copy would be
| produced in the original material; yet such a
| copy was executed some time ago by Mr..
| Northwo0d of Southbridge, a most accom-
| plished artist in glass, on the commission of
| Mr.. Philip.P argeter, himself an experienced
| and artistic glass-maker. This vase, which
is to be seen in the Birmingham Art Gallery,
is an entirely praiseworthy effort, but how
far short it falls of the exquisite beauty of
the real Portland vase only those who know
the original can perceive. Some idea may,
however, be gained by comparing it to enc
of Wedgwood's fifty copies which is in the
Wedgwood Room in the same gallery.